I was a huge skeptic until I tried it and then absolutely understood what all the fuss was about. College students use it as a study aide because it has a profoundly positive affect on your focus.

"How could this make me want to schoolwork?", I thought.

And then it worked. Once you get started on something, you can go for hours upon hours.

It would make perfect sense for a young NFL player to use it to keep focus watching film or reading a playbook.

I'm not saying there aren't other affects or that it's morally OK and not cheating. I'm just saying it's absolutely a study aide and would absolutely help NFL players study and watch film.

It helps you focus. It does NOT help you study. Your decision and work ethic help you study. Extra sleep improves focus and I would highly suggest extra sleep before alot of studying but sleep is not a "study aid" either.

We're picking nits at this point as I understand clearly what you're saying.

It helps you focus. It does NOT help you study. Your decision and work ethic help you study. Extra sleep improves focus and I would highly suggest extra sleep before alot of studying but sleep is not a "study aid" either.

We're picking nits at this point as I understand clearly what you're saying.

Oh it helps you study. That thing was a life saver for me.

The trick is, you don't pop the pill THEN study. You study, then in the middle of studying, pop the pill. Then you get super focused and want to find out the meaning of life and **** while you're studying.

Adderall and Ritalin are amphetamine based stimulants widely abused by college students to cram for exams and also as a recreational drug. Other athletes have been called on it, too, as a PED. I'm guessing if you're amped up on it, it would definitely be a PED for working out, like Ephedra was. You could work out like a demon on Ephedra and not get tired.

Adderall and Ritalin are amphetamine based stimulants widely abused by college students to cram for exams and also as a recreational drug. Other athletes have been called on it, too, as a PED. I'm guessing if you're amped up on it, it would definitely be a PED for working out, like Ephedra was. You could work out like a demon on Ephedra and not get tired.

Yes thanks. But I think we understand what Adderall does and some ways it may be helpful to an NFL player.

If they abused Adderall without a script for those reasons, they serve their time and that's it.

But the other options:

1) using it as a masking agent for physical PEDs.

2) claiming Adderall because the NFL can't release the actual drug and the players don't want the stigma of a physical PED.

That's the crux of the discussion and the Adderall outburst in general.

Are players using it as a masking agent to try to fool testers?

Or are they using it as a BOLD-FACED LIE to not be associated with the stigma of physical PEDs, knowing full-well that the public will believe that they're using Adderall for studying purposes because of the familiarity the public has with the drug.

The length of that process is absolutely up in the air. We first heard a report of Browns cornerback Joe Haden being suspended for Adderall on Aug. 8. It wasn't until Sept. 4 that Mike Holmgren confirmed the suspension and said the Browns were still waiting to hear back on Haden's appeal.

Making matters even more complicated is the same-day-testing coincidence. La Canfora reports that it is possible one or both parties could submit to a lie-detector test as part of the evidence submitted on their behalf -- and the players are also looking into any irregularities with the testing that could have resulted in both testing positive more or less at the same time.

Some crazy stuff in there.

I don't think them being tested on the same day is a coincidence. Clearly they were both doing the same wrong thing, together. But we still don't know exactly what and why.

And on a football note, because of Haden and all the questions surrounding this (and the fact that the test results came out months ago), I fully expect them to play this Sunday, and possibly not have this resolved until after this season.

They may be denying all of it because that lengthens the appeal process, just so they can play out this year and then serve the first four next season.

Just spoke with a former DIII football player that admitted to regularly using Adderall before games. He said, "I would use it right before pregame workouts. I would amp me up like you wouldn't believe but also gave me a sense of focus. It absolutely enhanced my play."

Another grain of salt.

If he took Adderall before a game that's almost a completely different aspect. Adderall if anything would inhibit you, you can't take full breaths, increases your resting heart rate to an already borderline unsafe spot, and then you play a sport as rigorous as football. I'd imagine this guy had to have passed out simply from getting up after tackles if he took adderall before games. The short breaths, combined with the increased heart rate leave you succeptible to feinting, not to mention being dehydrated, plus can even give you vertigo bad enough where you are so sick to your stomach you wouldn't be able to play any sport, let alone football, at any level.

1a) They used Adderall to study playbooks/game film. Maybe it's widely used in the NFL to help study, just like it's widely used among college campuses in the US.

1b) They used Adderall to amp them up before games like phylsac's DIII buddy. Maybe THAT'S what all the NFL players are doing with it - a game-day upper.

2) They used Adderall to mask physical PEDs (this theory hasn't been tested publicly but makes sense as a rumor and would explain the sudden outburst of Adderall in NFL circles).

3) They tested positive for something else but are publicly claiming Adderall because the league can't say what PED is actually is. This eliminates the stigma associated with physical PEDs.

And NOWWWWWWWW Sherman says he never took Adderall which doesn't make ANY sense on any level for him to say that regardless of which of the above is true.

If there were widespread use of Adderall on gameday, we'd know exactly who it'd be. They'd be the guys hooked up to IVs and coming out every other play to avoid passing out or their heart exploding. If there are any players who use Adderall solely on gameday, they are doing themselves a dis-service.

Not sure if guys can take it before a game and not have issues. On the other hand these guys are brutal on their bodies and I don't doubt they would try it if it didn't completely mess them up.

Adderall is absolutely a significant advantage for a player, especially one who struggles to get the playbook down. Its not a physical advantage, but it is a big bump for a guy sitting down to 3 hours of film and even more studying. It makes focusing for hours much easier.

It's not hard to get a prescription for it, so I don't see why a player wouldn't just go get a script and register it with the NFL if they want to use it, even for masking purposes. It's as easy as going to a doctor and saying that you have problems focusing.

"I was suspended for four games for taking ADHD medication prior to obtaining an exemption from the League. I have now obtained the proper exemption to take the medication that has been prescribed to me to treat my condition. I apologize to my teammates, coaches and fans for my mistake and will make sure to never let anything like this happen again.”